The broad purpose of this research is to describe and examine the messages about sex acts, sexual behavior and, especially, sexual violence being communicated to women in the United States through the medium of magazine fiction. By analyzing fiction in women's magazines and by interviewing the editors and writers who produce this fiction, it is possible to discover the kind of societal and cultural myths concerning sexual acts, sexual behaviors and sexual violence which are directed to women: it will also be possible to consider the issue of the ways these messages are used as a means of social control or social liberation. This research will contribute to the maintenance of or changes in social definitions of appropriate sexual behaviors. This study has several more specific objectives. The first is to find out if the messages to women of different social classes and racial groups vary, or if the message is the same for all women, regardless of class or group membership. The second objective is to see how the message varies over time. A primary interest in this research is to find out if the so-called "sexual revolution" and the woman's movement have made a difference in the message directed to women through popular magazine fiction. For historical and theoretical reasons, we are examining only those changes which occurred from 1930 to 1978. To achieve these objectives, an objective, systematic content analysis of three types of women's magazines will be conducted. Three types of magazines are included in the study sample: Confession-Romance magazines directed to white, lower-class women; the traditional "Family" magazines directed to white, middle-class women: and one Confession-Romance magazine and one Family magazine for black women. A further objectove of this research is to find out how this popular fiction is created and selected for publication. For this aspect of the study, we will interview editors and writers of women's magazine fiction.